Budget cuts keep Gardner Heritage State Park visitors center closed

The Heritage State Park visitors center will remain closed for the time being after the state in December cut $100,000 earmarked in the state budget to make repairs to the former fire station.

The center opened in the 1980s as the headquarters of Gardner Heritage State Park. The park also includes Dunn Pond and 130 surrounding acres. The center was closed in 2002 because of budget cuts. Since then the city has attempted several times to get the building reopened.

“This was not expected,” Mayor Mark P. Hawke said. “We thought it was safe because this was a specific line item.”

The money fell victim to state budget cuts last month. Money had been earmarked in the state budget for repairs to the building’s roof, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, security cameras and for elevator repairs. Along with serving as Gardner Heritage State Park headquarters, the building was used to house a display of artifacts of Gardner’s furniture making history. The building also served as a temporary home for the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center before its new building was opened nearby on Central Street.

In June, the money for the project was vetoed by Gov. Deval Patrick, but it was restored in July through overrides by the state House of Representatives and Senate. Then, it was cut in December.

Mr. Hawke said the hope is the money will be restored once again. He said after the December cuts were made, it was announced that the State Department of Conservation and Recreation would receive money for capital projects and the money for the park would be part of the department’s capital plan.

“I called them and said this needs to be on the top of the list,” Mr. Hawke said.

The mayor said the vacant building is in the city’s downtown. He said he considers it a priority to get that building occupied again. Although there has been interest in renting the building, he said nothing can be done until the repairs are made.

The mayor has not sat still waiting for the state to repair the building. He has sent the governor’s office notification that the state is in violation of city ordinance as the owner of a vacant or abandoned building. The mayor said the state has not complied with the ordinance, by failing to notify the city of its plans for the future of the building. Building owners found in violation of the ordinance may be fined up to $300 per day. Since he sent the notice to the governor’s office, he has heard from Secretary of Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan, who said the state is working on getting the building back in operation.

Mr. Hawke said he is frustrated by state inaction on the building, which the city deeded to the state for $1 when Heritage State Park was created.

“For 10 years they’ve left it vacant,” he said. “It is the only Heritage Park visitors center that is closed.”

The state has nine Heritage State Parks, in Gardner, Fall River, Holyoke, Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, North Adams, Roxbury and Uxbridge.